Journeying in faith with the Sto. Niño

CEBU, Philippines - How must a devotee journey? “A devotee must journey with love, with hope and with faith,” says Basilica del Sto. Niño’s newly installed rector Rev. Fr. Jonas M. Mejares. “As what Monsignor (Roberto) Alesna said in his homily on the second day of the novena: faith is not a thing but a relationship with God. And to be a devotee is about establishing a strong relationship with people. Once you follow this, it’s like you’re making the sign of the cross, you create an intercepting point – the horizontal point is your fellowman, the vertical point is God.”

He also said that since we can’t see God nor can talk to Him directly, we have to make sure that we see our God in people. “We must journey together in faith. We must be in this together. We must build strong relationships with our fellowmen, otherwise we can’t grow (in spirituality).”

However, there are instances of unresolved conflicts even among those who have claimed to be devotees. When asked if it’s alright for such devotees to engage in the activities of the 447th annual celebration of the Fiesta Senyor, Fr. Mejares pointed out that even St. Augustine had been a member of various sects before he founded the Order. “It was his expression of faith. Despite conflicts, padayon siya’g pangita sa kamatooran. And God was very patient with him.”

“If we rely on what our minds dictate, it would be easy to forgive. However, our feelings would say otherwise. Of course mahiubos ta, masuko ta. Ma-hinder sa makadiyot ang ato sigurong fervor to be in a community. Pero kaning kahiubos or kasuko ma-eradicate ra man na. Kusog lang na for a certain period of time. Let’s look at it this way: It is God’s plan to make us unique. We are each gifted with a unique character, a unique personality. Our weaknesses are made strong by other people’s gifts. Our strength makes the weak strong. It has been said that it is when we are weak that we are made strong. This is the wonder and power of God’s grace. It is only He who can judge our hearts,” Fr. Mejares added.

Preparations

Every annual Fiesta Senyor begins with a Penitential Walk with Jesus wherein devotees wake up at dawn (January 10 this year). This marks the start of the Novena. The Children’s Mass was scheduled last Jan. 13, while the Penitential Walk with Mary was on the dawn of the last day of the novena (Jan. 18). The Traslacion (not translacion), or the transferring of the replicas of the images of the Sto. Niño and the Our Lady of Guadalupe from the Basilica to St. Joseph Shrine in Mandaue City for an overnight vigil, follows.

The Fluvial Procession is another important activity that precedes the Solemn Procession on the visperas of the celebration. It is the reenactment of the historical arrival of Magellan’s galleons “at the mouth of the cove of Cebu called Mandaue, at noontime of April 7, 1521” bringing the image of the Sto. Niño.

By the way, “fluvial” is a vague term used to refer to the activity. Fluvial has something to do with rivers. As for the celebration, since it has something to do with a smaller body of water – which is the (Mactan) channel - the term has stuck.

The ritual to cap the celebration would be the “Hubo” (undressing) which is a solemn service. It formally signifies the closing of the yearly grand fiesta and symbolizes the human side of Christ. The image’s ceremonial vestments (inspired by the distinctive and expensive red manto of the Spanish royals) are replaced with the ordinary, non-ceremonial attire prior to reenthronement.

It was reiterated that the Hubo and the Pag-ilis have deeper symbolic message that challenges the faithful devotees of the Sto. Niño to conversion and renewal of thinking, doing and relating (with people), and to a decisive transformation of one’s self like the Holy Child who grew up in wisdom, charity, and truthfulness according to God’s plan. Thus, the need to seek confession before joining in any of the activities to prepare our hearts in receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

“Change in attitude can’t happen abruptly. It is only God who has that power to change a person. Pero the mere fact nga miduol siya sa Ginoo, iapil sad niyag ampo nga unta mahumok ang iyang kasingkasing. Like Christ, the Church offers forgiveness to those who will seek Him,” Fr. Mejares further elucidated.

“As a community, in the Year of Faith (celebration continues until November 24 of this year as declared by Pope Benedict XVI), let’s journey together, praying fervently that more hearts will be changed. Pray not only for our personal interests; pray that we will live the true essence of our devotion to the Sto. Niño kay if seryoso gyud kas imong pagka-deboto, sa ngadto-ngadto makita man nato ang kausaban. That’s why we are asked to love one another, take care of each other, which means we have to be patient with one another and be willing to make sacrifices as we share in other people’s struggles.” (FREEMAN)